Portfolio Questions

Deputy First Minister Responsibilities, Economy and Gaelic Davy Russell S6O-05451 1. To ask the Scottish Government how its employability programmes support parents of children aged nine months to three years to return to work, in light of the lack of funded childcare for this age group. Ruth Maguire S6O-05452 2. To ask the Scottish Government what support will be available for young entrepreneurs alongside the £2.5 million funding announced for the First Minister's Start Up Challenge. Collette Stevenson S6O-05453 3. [Not Lodged] Sharon Dowey S6O-05454 4. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent report by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales showing that business confidence in Scotland has fallen for the sixth consecutive quarter and is lower than the UK average. Paul McLennan S6O-05455 5. To ask the Scottish Government what implications the recent announcement of next steps for its £1.5 billion bonds programme will have for the financing of major capital projects across Scotland. Michelle Thomson S6O-05456 6. [Not Lodged] Rona Mackay S6O-05457 7. To ask the Scottish Government what the immediate economic outcomes were for Scotland's exporters of its recent trade mission to the United Arab Emirates. Daniel Johnson S6O-05458 8. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Cities Outlook 2026 report and the performance of Scottish cities. Finance and Local Government Mark Griffin S6O-05459 1. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to COSLA’s statement that the draft Budget 2026-27 “represents a very poor settlement for local government which fails to address the financial situation being faced by councils across Scotland". Jackie Dunbar S6O-05460 2. To ask the Scottish Government how it envisages its draft Scottish Budget 2026-27 will support families in the Aberdeen Donside constituency to address cost of living pressures, including childcare costs. Clare Adamson S6O-05461 3. To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with COSLA regarding payroll practices in local authorities that can result in two wage payments in a single universal credit assessment period, and can lead to reduced entitlement and rent arrears, including in relation to support available for those affected. Audrey Nicoll S6O-05462 4. [Not Lodged] Neil Bibby S6O-05463 5. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with COSLA following the publication of its draft Budget 2026-27. Alexander Burnett S6O-05464 6. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work that it is doing to recognise rurality in local government finance settlements. Jeremy Balfour S6O-05465 7. To ask the Scottish Government how much has been allocated in its draft Budget 2026-27 to replace the Investing Communities Fund when the current funding ends in March 2026. Jamie Hepburn S6O-05466 8. To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated in its draft Budget 2026-27 to support local authorities, including North Lanarkshire Council, to provide universal breakfast clubs from August 2027.